13.07.2018 – The opposite of misfortune

Friday the 13th is commonly associated with bad luck and misfortune according to superstitions but the sightings on todays tours proved precisely the opposite. I had the pleasure of guiding this mornings snorkelling tour with the loveliest group of guests. After sightings that involved Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and surprisingly interactive Striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), we finally located a small group of Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis), the species we aim to meet in the water. Our snorkelers behaved perfectly and were touched by the close encounter with this charming species. The guests aboard the Ribeira Brava this morning enjoyed sightings involving Short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) and a close approach by a large Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), while the afternoon tours on our zodiac had sightings with Sperm whales, Bottlenose dolphins and Atlantic spotted dolphins.

Apart from their profound intelligence and their unique bioacoustics, the members of the toothed whale family (Odontoceti) have another remarkable characteristic in common; a complex social life. The group sizes and their dynamics vary according to the species. Generally oceanic dolphin societies are very fluid in structure underlining their opportunistic nature. Young calves are very attached to their mothers in the first years of their lives before establishing friendships that could last a lifetime and which result in sub-group formations within larger pods. Sperm whales and Short-finned pilot whales boast an entirely different social make-up. The groups of these species that occur here consist of females and calves and they exist as fairly fixed units known as matriarchs. Here, the cultural life and vocalizations of every individual animal is shaped by its fellow peers. This strengthens internal relationships within the herd, which are so powerful that the animals even put themselves in danger so that they won’t abandon other pod members. This characteristic was tragically used against Sperm whales during the whaling era (which thankfully ended in 1989) and is still being used to trap and butcher Pilot whales in the Faroe islands. Noise pollution in the ocean often leads to mass strandings of disorientated marine mammals, many of which beached themselves out of solidarity for their peers.

So, while the social lives of toothed whales make them more resilient, they simultaneously make them more vulnerable. I know, evidently I’m writing about a beautiful day and ending this blog on a darker note. To be fair I only mentioned a handful of issues; cetaceans and other apex marine predators are facing a further variety of environmental problems. Having a day full of spectacular sightings can lead to us overlooking this sobering reality and we can only feel grateful that we are fortunate enough to enjoy encounters with animals that never fail to put a smile on our face.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

09:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-finned Pilot whales, Sperm whales

Stenella

09:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins (snorkeling), Bottlenose dolphins, Striped dolphins

12:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Sperm whales

18:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins